electrical problem (any thoughts) Options

[MrX]

I've been lurking here for ages with hardly a post. Finally, I have a question that I hope someone has an answer for. Since my car sits for extended periods of time (I know, I know, drive it more.), I sometimes put a trickle charger on the battery to keep it topped off. Also, I know my alternator isn't working at peak performance. Anyway, Saturday, I had the charger hooked up and the power went off at our house for 5-10 minutes. Several hours later, I tried to start the car...I heard the fuel pump and had engine lights then turned the key to start. Click! Nothing. Nada. No clicking...no engine turnover..nothing. I turned the key off and back on...nothing...no fuel pump no engine lights nothing. I put the charger back on overnight. The next morning again hear the fuel pump see engine lights and then Click!. Then no fuel pump or engine lights on the second try.

My question is this...what is the likelihood that something besides the battery has gotten fried.


I'm hoping the battery has just been drained and recharged too many times...also it could have been drained straight to ground or something with the power outage and the charger hooked up, although I would hope the charger was designed better than that. My worst fear is that there was some sort of power spike which has destroyed something else in the electrical system.

Any ideas? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Matt Meyer]

Anyone who sells automotive batteries should be able to test automotive batteries.

While you are at Autozone pick up a little device that plugs into your cigarette lighter and connects a 9v battery. You NEED this if you are changing a battery on a newer car.

If you are getting nothing, not even lights then put a multimeter across the + and - terminals you should be seeing over 12 V, 12.6 IIRC. If not then the battery is not fully charged.


When cranking or with the headlights on the voltage should not drop below 10 or 11 volts.

See more on batteries here
Battery Stuff

[MrX]

While you are at Autozone pick up a little device that plugs into your cigarette lighter and connects a 9v battery. You NEED this if you are changing a battery on a newer car.

Oooh. What a great idea...I suppose this device keeps enough voltage to not reset all of the electronic systems. I once had to drive from Knoxville to Nashville by myself with no radio because my then girlfriend, now wife, didn't know where the code was to reset the anti-theft feature on her Volvo...which I had to jump start.

Thanks for the batterystuff link